Sanding tires

[Bridgebuster]

I know that one can achieve a slightly worn look, but still relatively new, by sanding the tires' treat area. I do have a Dremel tool and some sanding drums. Just need to know very precisely your best technique, whether it involves Dremel or is done by hand or other means.

Thanks.

[ChrisPflug]

I usually just do a fairly light scuffing by hand with some 400 grit- mostly the tread- a little on the sidewall for a painted white letter or white/red/blue/goldwall then a misting of dullcote

[charlzrocks]

for slicks, I put them on my drill and hit the glossy area with sandpaper till they look right. As for regular road tires, I still have yet to find a good technique on what you are looking for!

[VW Dave]

I generally do my tire sanding by hand, with dollar store emery boards.

[James W]

I have had limited success with powered sanding techniques.

I most commonly put a sheet of sand paper on my leg as I am sitting and hold the tire by the sidewalls.

Then I pull the tire across the sandpapre while I rotate the tire and repeat.

Pull and rotate at the same time.

After a few rotations the tread surface smoothes out as the sanded areas blend together.

I start with coarse 320 or 400 for slicks and graduate to finer 600 or 800 then finish by polishing the tread on my blue jeans.

For treaded tires start around 600 grit.

If you don't want to round off the shoulders of the tire, start with the paper on a table top and move to the pant leg for the fine grits only.

[Mooneyzs]

I generally do my tire sanding by hand, with dollar store emery boards.

This is exactly the same way I sand my tires, I use emery boards and sand by hand by turning the wheel in one hand and sanding stick in the other rotating the tire with each stroke.

Edited February 15, 2010 by Mooneyzs

[Guest]

Nothing high tech here, just sand the tread by hand with either 320 or 400 grit wet/dry paper used dry.

[TimKustom]

I most commonly put a sheet of sand paper on my leg as I am sitting and hold the tire by the sidewalls.

Then I pull the tire across the sandpapre while I rotate the tire and repeat.

Pull and rotate at the same time.

This is what works best for me as well. Much more control, esp. in areas that have "flat spots" or other casting flaws.

Another good tip is once finished sanding the tires, scrub them with some Comet cleaning powder. Takes that vinyl "sheen" off.

[Guest promodmerc]

i made a piece for my drill press that allows me to sand nearly any tire i need to. it's simply a short piece of all thread with a nut and washer at one end and 3M blue painters tape wrapped around the all thread, it's tapered slightly. another washer and a wing nut make up the bottom. the tires slip over the tape and are secured with the washer and wingnut. i have a variety of different grits of sand paper and also some Scotchbrite pads that i use to sand the tire treads. i work with a relatively low speed to keep heat down as well. it's pretty crude, but one of those very effective tools.

the original idea for this came from Envious8420, Jim who had made something similar for his drill press.

Dave

this very close on how I do mine. I use plumbing washers I bought from Ace Hardware. I als use brass tube the same width as the tires to keep from squishing them too tight.

Here are some pics of my set up.

[Longbox55]

I fabricated an arbor to go in a 3/8" drill to do mine. made it out of a peice of 3/8" aluminum rod from the local Lowes store, along with a couple of flanged 3/8-24 nuts, 9/16" hex. The hex fits nicely inside most 1:25/1:24 tires, and the flanges hold the tire in place. I also picked up some nylon spacers to allow for different tire widths, but so far have not had to use them.

[Madd Trucker]

I use a coarse sanding stick from a beauty supply store the black one

[Longbox55]

I didn't mention what I use for abrasives. Depending on what effect I'm after, I'll use anything ranging from various grits of sandpaper to flat files. I like to tape down the sandpaper to a board for sanding treads. The file (full size file, not a hobby file) comes in handy for truing up slicks, or doing a heavily worn tire.

[Mercman]

I chuck mine up in a drill press also for slicks. For treaded tires, sand paper on the bench. To get the shine off the sidewalls I use a hunk of steel wool, and scuff them lightly.

[rat95dyna]

I am pretty bare-bones about it.

I utilize various grits of emery cloth for the tread and a fine grit sanding sponge from the hardware store for the sidewalls.

I lay the cloth on the bench and rotate the tire tread area by hand. This allows me to get even wear around the circumference in case the tire is out of true. Using the tire in a Dremel in that circumstance results in shallower patches of tread as the tire grinds down to true. In 1/25 scale, untrue tires are usually not noticeable unless you pull out the micrometer.

Sidewalls are done with the tire rotating on sponge, which conforms to the shape allowing even wear.

Sidewall detail is added later with the tire rotating on a jig. Lettering is done using stencils and an airbrush allowing me to achieve whatever level of wear I want. Weathering is done by whatever means you normally use.

Hosted on Fotki

Hope this helps!

Godspeed,

Mick

[torinobradley]

I do the same non-power sanding method to scuff up the tread and then go over the tread area with a small brass brush to get rid of the shine between the tire treads. That way, the sidewall has that just armor alled sheen to it and the tread looks like it is a road going vehicle.

[Jim0205]

I use an emery board and for knocking the sheen out of the tire I like to scrub with either tooth paste or comet I have had favorable results thus far.